Question about house centipede

[Gail]

I don't know much about centipedes so I'm not even sure if I'm calling it the right name. What I have is one of those critters that looks like it is on stilts because it's legs are so long. The kind that move really fast and can even catch flies on the walls. Light tan color with darker tan stripes. I've only ever seen them in buildings. We get them here but usually by the time I see them my cats have all but killed them. I caught the cats with one first thing the other night and took it from them. It's about 3/4" - I've seen them as big as 2". Question is, how do I take care of it and how much should I let it eat? I have it in an empty yogurt container with a clear lid and moist peat moss for bedding. I dropped in about a dozen new born crickets last night and it AT THEM ALL. I just tossed in about a dozen or so more - is that too much food? And will this thing bite viciously like the tropical ones? I know the 2" specimens that my cats have killed in the past had very big fangs and I think one of the cats got bitten on the nose once (served him right). Do these things make decent cage pets? Just wondering.

Gail

 

[sabre]

the way your are caring for it now is perfect, since they live in your building naturally you don't have to worry about temperature or humidity. just mist the sides to give it a water source and feed it every few days. it will eat alot initially just because it didn't have such an abundance of available food in it's natural environment. you may want to add a small rock or piece of wood to it's container for it to hide under.

i handle them (usually just to pick them up and move them outside) and have never been bitten. their jaws aren't really powerful enough to break the skin. mainly it is just the larger scolopendra species you have to worry about.

 

[Mister Internet]

Hey Gail,

What you have is Scutigera Coleoptera, and yes, "House Centipede" is a commonly-used common name. Basically ditto what sabre said... that being said, be VERY CAREFUL when opening his cage... they are insanely fast as you mentioned

Oh, and screw newborns... he will eat a cricket as big as his body length if you let him... that way you can feed him just once instead of a dozen at a time...